10 Most Emotional Avatar The Last Airbender Moments

Part of what makes a good show is whether it can have significant emotional resonance in the smallest of moments, this sequence from the episode The Guru is a signifier that Avatar can do just that.

When learning to open his chakras to master the Avatar state, Aang needs to unlock the personal gateways that are restricting his energy flow, and to do so, he has to interrogate emotional aspects of his existence.

He is introduced to banana and onion juice early in the episode, and it's just as disgusting as it sounds, he moves past the drink and makes it feel as though it's a simple joke to show the quirkiness of Guru Pathik.

The Guru guides Aang through his spiritual journey, and eventually, we get to the air chakra, which deals with love and is blocked by guilt. After confronting his regret over losing all of the air nomads that he loved, he is reassured that their love still exists as energy within him and manifests as new connections appear.

This moment is beautiful enough, but is complemented by Aang's tears and then asking for some of the gross drink he previously ridiculed. It genuinely shows the significant impact that this spiritual journey is having on Aang. This is a tiny detail in the show, but the line delivery and animation make it so emotionally resonant.